Hamilton Falls, Jamaica, VT

A purchase of the Sixth Edition of the Green Mountain Club Day Hiker's Guide to Vermont Exploring the Green Mountain State from the Bennington Bookshop, led to Rowan reading the various hikes looking for an adventure to get the family started on our summer of hiking. Rowan liked the idea of the Hamilton Falls hike, I believe because it did not seem long or high.

The hike began at Ball Mountain Lake (Reservoir) on the West River Trail. We started at the public toilets and park station and followed Ball Mountain Lane to the trailhead. 

The trail descended past the Gatehouse and than rose to the spillway. 

We crossed the dam and proceeded down the down the far side of the dam by a series of tight switchbacks. 

Entering the woods we came to a repurposed rail trail that led towards Jamaica State Park. We left the West River Trail where at the Hamilton falls trail and continued steeply up.

Continuing on we reached the turn off to the bottom basin of the falls. We paddled in the lower pools and ate lunch on the rocks by the water side.

It appears that the local residents find this to be a good swimming hole and ignore the posted warnings to not swim in the falls.

The pools of the falls fell off into the brook that the trail followed up.

Sitting by the water reminded me of "Bron-Y-Aur" by Led Zeppelin so when we got home I used our video footage of the paddling to make a small family music video...

The entire trip was 4.54 miles with an altitude difference of 618 ft. and a total ascent of 2996 ft.